


Four Times Kate Told Lisa She Loved Her and One Time She Said It Back

by ensorcel



Category: Military Wives (2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Family Bonding, Fluff, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:54:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27431572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ensorcel/pseuds/ensorcel
Summary: Kate expresses her love in many ways. Lisa figures out just how many. They build a family together.Set the same universe asatlantisairlock'sbeautiful story"if you're lost, you can look (you will find me)"and a companion to"Until We Laugh Again".
Relationships: Kate Barkley & Lisa Lawson, Kate Barkley/Lisa Lawson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	Four Times Kate Told Lisa She Loved Her and One Time She Said It Back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [atlantisairlock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/atlantisairlock/gifts).
  * Inspired by [if you're lost, you can look (you will find me)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27103504) by [atlantisairlock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/atlantisairlock/pseuds/atlantisairlock). 



**one.**

“Frankie! Could you boil some water?” Kate shouted as she ran down the stairs. “Your mother will be home soon.”

“Got it!” 

Kate quickly put on an apron, puttering around the kitchen straightening cups, folding the towel again, grabbing a pack of pasta from the pantry and tomatoes from the fridge, bringing out the cutting board. 

“Here,” she gestured to Frankie with the tomatoes. “Cut these up into quarters like last time, please.” 

Frankie nodded and turned on the radio, tuning it to the local music station. Kate smiled and brushed her hair. 

“My goodness, it’s getting long,” Kate admonished. Frankie blew her bangs out of her face. 

“Yeah, a little, you mind cutting it for me later?” 

Kate blinked and then frowned. 

“You sure? We could just go to the hairdresser’s,” Kate said. Frankie smiled. 

“No, I trust you,” she replied. A warmth bubbled up in Kate’s chest. 

“Okay,” she said as she dropped the pasta into the pot. “Let’s get this done before your mother comes home to burn the house down,” she continued, winking at Frankie, who just laughed. 

The door opened loudly just as Frankie was setting the table and Kate was finishing up the salad, mixing it up and grabbing some juice from the fridge. 

“Hey, I’m home!” Lisa called and Kate rushed into the hallway to greet her, pecking her on the lips. 

“Welcome back,” Kate said, smiling. “How was your day?”

“Normal, a couple annoying customers,” Lisa said, nudging Kate with her hip. “Anything interesting while I was gone?” 

“Nope, but we’re getting a cat,” Kate replied, taking Lisa’s coat and hanging it up. 

“What?” Lisa turned around to face her. 

“Mhm,” was all Kate said and dashed into the kitchen before Lisa could say anything more. 

“A cat?” Lisa almost-yelled, only to face an angelically-smiling Frankie and a bright-eyed Kate. 

“Kate agreed to it,” Frankie said, picking up her fork. “You’ll like the pasta, Mum.” 

Lisa’s eyes narrowed. 

“If you want to convince me, you’re going to have to do a lot better,” she snipped, looking at Kate. Frankie rolled her eyes. 

“Ewwww, keep that away from the dining table,” she complained, closing her eyes. Kate just laughed and patted her hand. 

“What kind of cat, by the way?” Kate asked, looking at Frankie. Lisa groaned. 

“What about a dog?” 

Kate just glared at her. “I make dinner, I make the rules.”

“Hey, I can cook!” 

Frankie and Kate exchanged glances. 

Lisa just sighed. 

“Mum, you’re not allowed in the kitchen,” Frankie said. Lisa threw her hands up, but she was hiding a smile. Kate grinned at how pretty she looked. 

“You get to wash the dishes and we can consider a dog,” Kate said huffily, grabbing a glass for Lisa. “Now, eat, you’ve had a long day.”

Lisa kissed her on the cheek and Kate smiled as she watched her small family settle in for the night. 

**two.**

Kate straightened her blazer one last time, checking her outfit in the mirror and grabbing her bag. Christ, she hadn’t been to an interview in years. 

She steadied herself. She had taught for years before this. Just a short sabbatical in between—and one with good reason, she reminded herself. Thinking of Jamie still brought a pang to her chest, but she also remembered his bright laugh and soft smile and Lisa’s loving gaze and Frankie’s great humour and realised that while she may had lost a son and a husband, she’d gained a daughter and a partner. 

Lisa had already left for work and Frankie for school. Kate marched out the door, grabbing her keys and driving calmly to the nearby school. It was barely ten minutes and all Kate could think about was how good things were and how good things could stay—even if they’d lost Richard and Red and somedays all she could think about was how much she missed Jamie. 

But her small job as a clerk at the local bookstore simply wasn’t enough, even with Lisa’s salary—and they had to think about Frankie’s post-secondary education, even with savings from Richard and Red and Kate knew she had to think a little bigger. 

She’d taught maths for years before and when she found that there was an opening available at the local elementary school, she nearly cried in relief. (She hadn’t told Lisa, though. There was no guarantee she’d even get the job.) 

Kate was greeted by a very nice secretary and young children all over the school. With a pang, she remembered Jamie at the age. She wished she’d known Frankie when she was that young. Quickly introducing herself to the principal, the interview went well enough. 

“Why the break?” the older man with kind eyes asked. Kate swallowed. 

“I, my son died in Afghanistan and I decided to take a break,” she said. There was no need to mention Richard. 

The principal looked at her sadly. 

“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said. 

“Thank you.” 

Kate drove home with some confidence that it’d gone well enough and glanced at the clock, hoping that Frankie would be back soon so the house wouldn’t be so empty. Tidying up the living room, she took off her blazer and put out a small snack for Frankie that she would inevitably wolf up. 

Putting out food for the cat, Timmy, she petted him softly, humming as she cleaned up the house. 

“Hey, Kate? I’m home!” Frankie called as the door opened. Kate immediately rushed towards the hallway. 

“Good afternoon, dear, there’s a snack for you in the kitchen,” she said. “Also, you need to clean the litter box.”

Frankie, as expected, groaned, but nodded, dropping her bag on the floor. 

“How was school?” 

Frankie shrugged. “Good, university applications coming up,” she replied. Kate nodded. 

“Let me know if you need help with those,” she offered. 

“They’re not until next year, but yeah, thanks,” Frankie replied, grabbing the cookies on the counter. Kate was suddenly hit with the exact same image of Jamie standing before her. 

“You know I love you, right?” she said. Frankie looked up, still eating. She covered her mouth. 

“Of course I do, I love you too,” she replied, matter-of-factly. 

And that was that. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lisa asked, right after she freaked out about Kate's new job. 

"I wasn't sure I was going to get it," Kate explained, pecking her on the mouth. Lisa frowned. 

"You still could've told me," she insisted. Kate just brushed a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her eyes. 

"I wanted it to be a surprise," she whispered, pulling Lisa in for a kiss. 

(She didn't need to say it. Lisa understood.) 

**three.**

Kate grunted as she pushed the piano up the driveway. Jesus, Lisa better appreciate this. Lisa had to appreciate this, because otherwise, Kate was going to punch her in the face. 

“Frankie!” she called as she swung the door open, propping it up with the old, somewhat beaten up piano. 

“What?” 

“Help me!” she exclaimed, pushing the piano through. 

“Where the hell did you get this?” Frankie asked, grabbing the other end and pulling. 

“It’s for your mother, now help me get this thing in!” Kate gasped as she kept on pushing. Jesus Christ this thing was heavy. No wonder it was just left in the garrison like that. 

“Jesus, this thing is heavy—how on Earth did you get it here in the first place?” 

“Pull now, ask questions later!” 

After a solid hour of maneuvering and rearranging and just moving the damn thing, Kate and Frankie finally got the piano nicely against the wall in the living room, tucked snugly into the corner. Kate brushed off her hands, wiped her brow, and gave Frankie a high-five. 

“And this is for Mum?” 

Kate nodded, looking at the piano proudly. “That daft keyboard was getting on my nerves.” (It was. It really was. But she really had just wanted to see Lisa’s face when she found it.) 

“Where did you even get a piano?” 

Kate looked at Frankie with a grin. 

“Stole it from the garrison.” 

Frankie looked like a fish out of water and Kate wrapped an arm around her. 

“What—” Frankie began. “Liar.” 

Kate just laughed.

“Kate!” Lisa exclaimed when she got home from work. “Kate!” 

Kate chuckled. “It seems you remember my name,” she quipped, as Lisa pulled her in and kissed her. 

And kissed her. 

She was pushed back against the piano, Lisa’s lips hot against hers, her hands running through Lisa’s long, soft hair and Kate laughed inside that all this took was that stupid chunk of ivory and wood. 

“Hello? Teenager in the room?” 

Fuck. Kate immediately shoved Lisa away, straightening her shirt and wiping her mouth. 

“We—”

“Frankie—”

She just rolled her eyes as Kate wanted to die a little inside. (But Lisa looked incredibly beautiful in the dim light of their living room and her hair looked lovely when it was slightly messy.)

“You guys think you’re so mysterious, don’t you? You know I also live here, right?”

Kate felt her neck heating up and Lisa’s blush was the nicest colour in the world. 

After Frankie rushed upstairs, Lisa almost grabbed Kate and proceeded to kiss her to death against the piano. 

She almost protested. (She couldn’t.) 

**four.**

Frankie was out for the night and Kate was washing dishes after dinner. Lisa quietly put a song on, letting the piece flow throughout the quiet, but not empty—almost never empty now—house. 

“Dance with me?” 

Kate smiled and dried her hands. 

“What’s up with you tonight?” 

Lisa smiled. “Nothing, just wanted to hold you.”

Kate laughed. “It’s because Frankie’s out tonight, isn’t it?” 

“Yes,” Lisa whispered in her ear. 

Kate looked up into Lisa’s eyes as the music played louder. They were so bright, so full of love. 

“I love you,” she said, holding onto Lisa tighter. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” she repeated, because she hadn’t said it enough with Richard and she wished she’d had more time with Jamie and if there was anything Kate had learnt was that life was short and Kate Barkley was in love with Lisa Lawson. 

**five.**

Kate was marking away on a weekend when Lisa snuck up behind her, placing her hands on her shoulders. 

Kate jumped. 

“Jesus Christ, are you trying to send me to an early grave?” 

Lisa just chuckled. “No, just to tell my very busy wife that dinner is ready and I didn’t set the kitchen on fire.”

Kate sighed as Lisa massaged her shoulders. 

“That feels nice,” she commented, leaning back. 

“Good, because I’m done and we are going to have a very nice dinner together with our ridiculous teenage daughter.” 

_Our daughter_. Kate smiled. 

“Lead the way.” 

**FIN.**

> _“I’m yours—you know it.”_ —F. Scott Fitzgerald, _This Side of Paradise_

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, let me know if you have any more ideas on these idiots! I love your stupid world and yes, I will continue to live in it because Richard and Red being dead fixes so many things ;)


End file.
